


Making Your Own Future

by coralysendria



Category: Captain America, The Avengers (2012), Wonder Woman (1976)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-16
Updated: 2012-12-16
Packaged: 2017-11-21 07:03:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/594846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coralysendria/pseuds/coralysendria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five times -- plus one -- that Diana Prince and Steve Rogers encountered one another.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Making Your Own Future

**Author's Note:**

> Betaed by the lovely Bethynyc.

I.

Since the War Department wanted to interview him, one of Steve Rogers' first appearances as the very public Captain America took place in Washington, D. C. The subject of the interview was to be what had happened in New York on the day of Dr. Erskine's death. At their farewell dinner a week after that momentous day, he had referred to it in that fashion to Peggy. She put down her wine glass and pursed her lips.

"You shouldn't think of it that way, Steve," she reproved him gently. Around them, the other diners went on with their meals and their conversations, the clink of glasses and silverware somehow comforting in the dim light.

"I want to honor Dr. Erskine," he said, thinking of the man's many kindnesses, starting with giving him -- a skinny kid from Brooklyn -- a chance to prove his mettle.

"He would prefer to be honored through his achievements," she replied. "Think of it as the day of your rebirth -- or, if you prefer, as the day of Captain America's birth. That is a far better way to remember him."

He nodded, mostly to please her, but he still privately thought of Captain America's birthday as the day Dr. Erskine died.

Not long after, he had stumbled onto a New York stage for the first time and read his lines off the back of his shield, a prop devised specifically for that purpose, while butterflies the size of tigers gnawed at his insides. Now, here he was in D. C., only a few weeks later. He still needed to read his lines, though his delivery was getting smoother. At least the butterflies had shrunk to a more manageable housecat size.

The onstage show ended, but there was a worse horror to endure: meeting people, signing autographs, and posing for pictures. He left his cowl on for this part of the show; the senator wanted Captain America firmly planted in the public's consciousness before Steve was seen without the cowl. The senator already had a whole strategy mapped out: when Steve would "accidentally" get caught in public without his cowl, when he would start filming movies (assuming the stage show caught on, which it seemed to be doing), an eventual USO tour, following in the footsteps of the likes of Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. Steve felt that somehow when he wasn't looking, he had fallen into a swiftly moving river, with the senator as the current flinging him hither and yon. Jim, the senator's aide, had promised him that things would settle down in a few weeks. Steve certainly hoped so, but he felt like he was only just keeping his head above water.

In the meantime, he picked up little Charles, who took one look at his mask and started howling. Steve nevertheless gave the camera a stalwart smile, handing the baby back to his mother after the flash. At least this kid hadn't peed on him.

"I'm sorry," she said, settling the squalling Charles on her hip and bouncing him a bit. He hiccupped a bit and his crying stopped. "He's usually better around strangers."

"Don't worry, ma'am," Steve replied gallantly. "There are probably too many people around just now."

Charles' mother smiled sweetly at him, then Jim escorted her to the table where Betty Lou would get her address in order to send her the developed picture.

Another flashbulb went off, and Steve blinked. This wasn't Ted, the senator's photographer, who was glaring as the interloper backed away behind someone else. Oh, swell -- a reporter, from the look of the sour-faced fellow scribbling hastily into a notebook. Steve still hadn't really gotten the hang of dealing with reporters; usually Jim or the senator were nearby, but this guy had clearly snuck past both of them. The only other two people nearby were women in uniform, one in a blue WAVES uniform, the other in the brown of the Womens Auxiliary Army Corps. The woman in the naval uniform was practically glaring at the reporter, but it was her strikingly blue eyes that caught Steve's attention. He'd never seen such eyes.

"Captain...are you _really_ a _captain_?" The fellow's tone indicated that he didn't believe that Steve was any such thing.

Irritated by the rudeness, Steve reached into his shirt and pulled his dogtags out. "Yes, sir. United States Army."

"And what name is on those tags?"

That was one thing the senator had drilled into him from the first day. "You're not Steve Rogers while you're in that uniform," he had said repeatedly. "You're Captain America. If anyone asks your real name...it's top secret. We'll put it about that we're protecting your loved ones from Nazi persecution or something like that."

"I'm not at liberty to say," Steve replied.

The reporter gave him the once-over, as though examining a prime cut of meat. "You look fit," he persisted. "Why are you selling bonds when you could be on the front lines doing something that counts?"

The question, which Steve had been wrestling with since Colonel Phillips refused to allow him to go to Europe with the SSR, was like a fist to the gut. Steve found himself just as speechless as if the air really had been pushed from his lungs. At that moment, the woman in the naval uniform stepped into the reporter's line of sight. "Selling bonds to fund the war effort is just as important as carrying a gun, as is keeping up the morale at home. The same question could well be asked of you, Mr. Lester."

The reporter obviously recognized her, too, and sneered in her face. "Well, if it isn't the war hero's secretary. Is that the official word from Major Trevor's office, Yeoman Prince?"

"Of course not," she responded gamely. "You know perfectly well that if Major Trevor has anything to say to you, Mr. Lester, he will say it."

The reporter's mouth twisted. "Yeah. If anyone can get past his watch dog."

As if on its own, Steve's fist curled. "Hey, now," he said, taking a step to put himself more or less between the reporter and the yeoman. "That's no way to talk to a lady."

The reporter laughed. It was a nasty sound, and clearly encompassed not only his opinion of women in general, but of this Yeoman Prince in particular. Steve saw red, but before he could swing, his arm was grabbed, and someone was talking to him. It took a moment before he realized that it was Jim who had an arm around him and was leading him away from the reporter. "The senator needs you, Captain," he said heartily, and "What the hell was that all about?" he whispered.

"That guy was insulting that yeoman," Steve answered. "I couldn't let him get away with that."

Jim stopped and faced him. Behind him, he could hear the women leaving. "What a cad," one of them said. "I simply cannot stand that man. He calls for General Blankenship all the time." She sighed theatrically. "But Captain America was going to defend you, Diana. That's _so_ romantic!"

Steve's could feel his ears go a little pink. "Romantic? Really?"

Jim shook his head. "Oh, Captain. You really have no idea, do you?"

 

II.

"Hail, Hydra?" Major Trevor asked. He glanced Diana's way; she indicated with a nod that she had gotten that part of Captain Rogers' testimony down. Her appointment book said only "Captain America" in Major Trevor's precise handwriting, so Diana had been surprised when the self-effacing Captain Rogers appeared in a regular-issue uniform with nary a star or stripe, only his captain's bars. His eyes had widened as he recognized her from the backstage confrontation with the loathsome Mr. Lester, but Major Trevor was ushering him into the inner office, so they had no chance to exchange anything other than impersonal greetings before the interview started. "That's unusual. Are you sure that's what he said?"

Captain Rogers, looking much less uncomfortable than he had the day before, nodded. "Yes, sir." 

"Do you know anything at all about Hydra, Captain?"

"No, sir." Rogers paused. "Well, nothing other than what Colonel Phillips told me afterward. Just that they're the Nazi equivalent to our own SSR." He hesitated, a moment, then continued. "Dr. Erskine told me a bit more. Hydra is run by a scientist called Johann Schmidt. Dr. Erskine described him as a brilliant man, but...unbalanced. He forced Dr. Erskine to administer his serum to him, but it wasn't ready, and apparently...there were side effects. The doctor didn't say what happened, exactly, but the experience was part of the reason he chose me when the serum was finished."

"Did he tell you why he chose you?" Trevor asked.

"Yes, sir." He lowered his eyes and blushed a little. "He said it was because I was a good man. And because a man who has been weak all his life knows how to value strength." 

"It's a shame that Erskine died before he could make more of the serum," Trevor said grimly, pacing toward Diana.

Over Major Trevor's shoulder, she saw Rogers' face tighten. "Yes, sir." She frowned ever so slightly at Major Trevor, who spun on his heel. "I'm sorry, Captain. I know he was a friend. He had high hopes for you."

"He didn't intend for me to become a dancing monkey, that's for sure," Rogers said, with a hint of bitterness in his voice.

"You can't know what the future holds, Captain," Diana said quietly. 

"True enough," Trevor said briskly, with a hint of a smile for his gentle secretary. "I think that's enough for now. The senator and the general are going to want to sit in later, so let's take a break, shall we? Diana, perhaps you could take Captain Rogers to the mess and show him where to get a cup of coffee."

"Of course, Major." She stood gracefully. "If you'll follow me, Captain?"

Rogers stood and saluted Trevor, then politely held the door for Diana. She passed through with a smile for him, and dropped her steno book and pencil on her desk. He held the outer door for her as well. She obviously didn't expect to be treated like a princess here, but she nevertheless appreciated basic courtesy. The cafeteria was one floor up, and as it was still a bit early for lunch, they had the large room mostly to themselves. 

"May I buy you a coffee, Yeoman?" Rogers asked shyly. "I didn't get a chance to thank you yesterday -- for speaking up to that reporter."

"That would be lovely. Thank you. And, please, call me Diana." 

"Steve," Rogers answered. 

"Nice to meet you, Steve," Diana said with a smile as they shook hands. His were large and very warm. Diana had read his file in order to prepare for the interview; his warmth was probably an effect of the super soldier serum. They got their coffees and took a small table near the wall, where they could chat without being overheard.

"Have you had a chance to see Washington?" Diana asked.

Rogers shook his head. "No. I think Senator Brandt has arranged for a tour later, though I'm not certain whether I'm seeing the sights or being seen seeing the sights."

"Does it really bother you so much?" Diana asked, though she could see that it did. She felt a great deal of sympathy for him. He could be doing so much more with his new abilities. He _ached_ to be doing more; Diana could see it in his eyes. She wished she could help him; she understood that drive to help.

"Being a dancing monkey, you mean?" The bitterness was back, and Rogers avoided her eyes.

She reached out and laid a gentle hand over his where it rested on the tabletop. Rogers blushed. "I meant what I said yesterday, Captain. About funding the war effort being equally as important as fighting on the front lines. What you're doing may not be what your friend Dr. Erskine wanted for you, but it _is_ important work."

Rogers nodded, but didn't look up from the table. "It's kind of you to say so, Diana. Thank you. I just -- I feel guilty, I guess. My friend Bucky, he's over there with the 107th, and...my father was in the 107th, in the last war. He died--" He closed his eyes and looked away. "I'm sorry. I just don't feel like my contribution is anywhere near as valuable as theirs."

"Your time will come, Captain," Diana said. "You'll see."

 

III.

The excitement in the press when it was announced that Wonder Woman would be appearing onstage with Captain America was impressive. "Captain America and Wonder Woman Together!" the headline of one paper screamed. "One show only."

"Stars and Stripes Forever!" another trumpeted.

"Wonder Woman To Bid Captain America Adieu!" said one, playing up the angle that Captain America's USO show was leaving for Europe in a few weeks.

Wonder Woman and Captain America officially met one another only two hours before their joint appearance. Flashbulbs popped as they shook hands and smiled, then posed with Senator Brandt and war hero Major Trevor. When Senator Brandt and Major Trevor shook hands for the cameras, Wonder Woman and Captain America quietly stepped away.

"Thank you for doing this," Captain America said. "You made the senator very happy."

"I'm sure I did," Wonder Woman replied, "but I'm not doing it for the senator."

Captain America pulled off his cowl. "You made me very happy, too," Steve said. "I'm a great admirer of your work. It's the sort of work I wish I could be doing."

"You'll get there," she replied softly, her voice probably going unheard by anyone else thanks to the bustle around them. "What you're doing now is important, but your time will come."

He gave her a searching look. "I've been told that before," he said slowly, his voice equally soft. He ignored the stagehands and chorus girls all around them; after all this time, he was used to the controlled chaos that went on backstage before the curtain went up.

"You should believe it. Your future will be what _you_ make it. Trust me, Steve. I know something about changing your life. And so do you."

"I thought so," he breathed in awe. "You're...." his voice trailed off and he looked over his shoulder.

She smiled. "You are the first person to ever recognize me."

He shrugged. "I have an artist's eye for detail...and besides, you said that to me when we met before."

"Yes. And it's still true, Steve. _You_ must make your future. At least think about it?"

He looked troubled, but nodded. "So you're really okay with someone shooting real bullets at you?" he asked in a louder voice. "We've decided maybe Joe, that is, _Hitler_ should do it. I was going to, but we can't have the flag firing on the flag, as the senator put it." He waved a hand at their respective uniforms.

"Of course," she replied, unsurprised by the change in subject. She, too, had heard the others coming backstage. "That would work. And he'll be firing upstage, so as not to put the audience in any danger?"

"Ah, there you two are," the senator said. "Getting acquainted?"

"Just working out a few details, sir," Steve said crisply.

"Excellent. Good, good. Major Trevor and I will be in the audience."

Steve extended his hand. "It's good to see you again, Major."

"Likewise." Trevor shook his hand.

"I was hoping to see Yeoman Prince while I was in town," Steve said. "Will she be coming to the show, too?"

"Unfortunately not," Trevor said. "A family emergency took her out of town."

"Nothing too serious, I hope," Steve replied, shooting a glance at Wonder Woman.

"No, I don't think so," Trevor said. "Good luck you two."

"It's 'break a leg,' Major," the senator said jovially. "There's something unlucky about mentioning luck in a theater."

"Oh? Well, then. Break a leg, you two."

It was probably just a coincidence that Major Trevor invoked luck in a theater and Nazi operatives decided that having Wonder Woman _and_ Captain America in the same place at the same time was too good a chance to pass up. Still, when the dust had settled, it was the major whose leg was broken.

IV.

"Diana? Diana, c'mon, wake up." 

Someone was jostling her, shaking her. The voice sounded...nice. Warm. And the accent wasn't German.

"Wonder Woman! You're needed!"

She came awake with a gasp to find Captain America leaning over her. "Captain?"

"Hi." He smiled at her, then glanced around. In the distance, Diana could hear explosions and gunfire. "What's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?" 

"I heard it was pleasant here this time of year," she responded. Things were very fuzzy. "Captain, is it really you?"

He answered the question she didn't ask: _Are you really here, Captain, or are the drugs making me see you?_ "I made my future."

She smiled, and laughed a little. "Well, then. How about a date, soldier?"

"Aren't you a little underdressed for the occasion?" He said, glancing down at the dark blue cotton dress they had dressed her in when they took her uniform and equipment.

She was. She wasn't sure how Hydra had managed to connect Diana Prince with Wonder Woman. Maybe they had simply realized that Wonder Woman showed an extreme interest in Major Steve Trevor. In any case, she had ended up in their hands after accompanying Major Trevor to Europe, and they had quickly realized how to keep her imprisoned.

"Where's Major Trevor?"

"Safe. Leading the assault. They grabbed you and left him behind."

She levered herself up, needing Steve's assistance. Apparently, they had left her in the lab when the alarms sounded. Her head swam and she clutched the edge of the lab table when Steve left her there to look around the room. "My belt?"

"Your things are over here." Steve passed her her equipment. "Looks like they were trying to cut bits of the lasso off for analysis."

She shook her head. "Wouldn't work. It can't be cut." She slipped her bracelets on and clasped the belt around her waist, and at once began to feel better as her Amazon strength returned. She swung her legs down and stood. She had a feeling she looked ridiculous, but there probably wasn't time to look for the rest of her outfit. "How did you know to look for me here? And are they expecting to find Wonder Woman or Diana?"

"Someone used an old code to send a message to Berlin saying that they had captured Wonder Woman. Since it was Hydra, they called me in. We'll tell Major Trevor that you managed to get Diana into safe hands -- people I know -- and she can reappear in a few days."

"Thank you for coming to get me."

Steve smiled. "Any time. Are you ready to go?"

"Whenever you are, Captain."

 

V.

This was the third time that Steve had returned to the same little restaurant in the shadow of the Stark Tower. He wasn't entirely sure why he kept coming back here...well, no. That wasn't entirely true. He kept hoping that somehow, Howard would step out of that building and tell him it was all a huge joke. The waitress -- the same woman each time -- looked at him with knowing eyes, but whether she thought he was really waiting for Howard's son, or whether she thought he was there for her, he couldn't tell. And didn't care, frankly.

"May I join you?"

He started to speak without raising his eyes. "Ma'am, I'd prefer to be alone."

"Are you certain, Captain?"

He raised his eyes at that, and shock more than the good manners his mother had instilled in him propelled him to his feet. "Diana!"

Diana Prince's radiant smile was exactly as he remembered it. "Hello, Steve. I'd say 'welcome to the future,' but you don't look very happy to be here."

"I'm not," he said, before he did remember his manners, and jumped around the table to hold the chair for her. "Do join me. Please."

He returned to his chair, staring at her. She hadn't changed. Oh, her lustrous black hair was dressed differently, and she was wearing trousers -- like most of the other women he could see -- but she hadn't aged a day since he had last seen her, when he rescued her from a Hydra facility during the war.

"How are you here? How did you find me? How--?" His gesture indicated what he was too polite to ask aloud. _How are you unchanged?_

"You really shouldn't wonder about such things," she said, lightly stressing the word. "And finding you wasn't difficult; I worked a few decades back with the IADC -- Inter Agency Defense Command -- and we occasionally worked with SHIELD. I still have a number of contacts in both organizations, so when you ran out of SHIELD's HQ, some bright spark remembered that we had met back in the day, and they called me. As for the other," she ran a finger idly along her waist, where a belt might lie, were she wearing one, "you know I have never looked my age."

"Of course. Stupid of me."

She pursed her lips in disapproval and folded her hands on the table. "Hardly. I'm sorry I wasn't here when you woke up, Steve. A familiar face might have made things easier."

"They gave me a file," Steve said, dully. "Howard's dead, Dum Dum's dead; they're all dead. But Peggy's alive. We had a date...."

Diana nodded. "Do you want to see her? I can take you."

"You still have that plane?" Steve asked, a half-smile on his face. He remembered riding in that plane. Just once. It had been terrifying and exhilarating at the same time, being firmly seated on nothing at all.

_"How can you even fly this thing?" he had asked._

_"I can see it," she had replied._

_"Oh, of course," he'd responded, with a roll of his eyes._

"I do," she said, in answer to his question. "Do you think seeing her would be better than sitting underneath the Stark Tower waiting for someone who isn't there?"

He considered the question, without wondering how she knew to ask it; SHIELD was, of course, watching him. Seventy years. Peggy would be...old. Very old. Her file said that she had been married...and _not_ to Howard Stark, which was something of a blessing. For him, their parting kiss at that Hydra base had been a fortnight ago. For her, it had been a lifetime, a lifetime in which she had not pined for him. She had great grandchildren now. There was no place in her life for Captain America.

"No," he said. "No. Better not."

Diana searched his face before nodding. "All right. If you're sure. But the offer is there, and I think she might not be displeased to see you."

Steve nodded, his gaze on the table. Then he remembered his manners. "So what are you doing these days?"

She smiled again and gracefully accepted the change of subject. "Would you believe that I'm part of a team? Of superheroes, no less? I would never have thought the day would come. It's...odd, working with others, it really is."

"It can be," he said, thinking of all the disparate personalities in the Howling Commandoes.

There was a roar overhead and they both glanced up as a streak of red and gold flew past.

"Was that--?"

"Iron Man," Diana confirmed. She smiled wryly. "Tony Stark is nothing if not flashy. He's not his father, Steve, but he's dedicated."

Steve nodded, his thoughts not on Tony Stark.

"Steve, SHIELD is going to ask you to work with them," Diana said, "if they haven't already."

"They did," he said. "Colonel Fury was very persuasive, and he pointed out that my commission is still active."

"What will you do?"

He shrugged and looked around pensively. "I don't know. I honestly don't see what good I can do here. Things are so different from what I'm used to. I don't fit in, anymore."

Diana sat back in her chair and stared at him for a long moment, then leaned forward again. "Steve, when I first came here from Pa-- from my home -- I had a lot of trouble adjusting. Things are so very different there. For one thing, there aren't any _men_. Imagine coming from a country where people like you are in charge, where those same people are the warriors, where there's no question about whether or not you are strong and capable. Then imagine coming to a place where you are considered to be less intelligent, less capable, less strong, and where all of the things you do are the province of others, and you are not allowed by their traditions and laws to do them. I faced then the same choice you do now: do my best, or leave."

"But you could have gone home," Steve argued. "You can _still_ go home."

"True enough," Diana conceded. "My point is that I _didn't_ go back. I made a home and a life for myself here. This world is my home, now. And, Steve, before you even think it, I have lost just as many people as you have. More, probably, because I am a _lot_ older than you are."

He had, indeed, been thinking that unworthy thought. He instantly pushed it to the back of his mind. "I'm sorry. I never thought. Major Trevor?"

Diana nodded. "Long gone. I was friends with his son, too, and he's gone. His daughter is my contact in SHIELD."

"But what do I do, Diana?"

"Steve, remember what I told you all those years ago? It's still true now. You make your own future. Promise me that you'll think about that."

In the face of Diana's boundless compassion, Steve could only nod. "I will, Diana. Thank you."

She patted his hand again, then grabbed a napkin and the pencil lying on his sketchpad. "Here. This is my number. Call me when you've had a chance to think about it. Or call me if you want me to take you to see Peggy. Or if you just need someone to talk to. All right?" She tucked the napkin under the cover of his sketchbook and stood, pulling the strap of her purse over her shoulder. "I'm sorry I can't stay, Steve. But I'll be around if you need me."

He stood as well. "Thank you for coming, Diana. I appreciate it." He held out his hand to shake, and she took it, but pulled him effortlessly into a hug. He had always known that she was as strong as he, but had never directly experienced her strength before.

"Whatever you decide, I will back you up with SHIELD," she said softly, "and if you decide that you _truly_ want to disappear for a while, I can arrange it."

"Thank you."

She pulled back and smiled, then walked off. Steve sank back into his chair. Suddenly the world seemed a little less bleak.

VI.

After the Battle of New York, everyone came out to help with the cleanup. The Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Justice League, various lone heroes. They had all been in the process of responding when the portal was closed and the Chitauri were defeated. If Stark hadn't figured out Loki's plan, the Avengers would have been as late to the party as the rest.

Steve found a great deal of purpose and a great deal of peace in the work. Stark had opened his tower to his teammates, and Steve found himself suddenly with a family again, as if by magic.

It was a Tuesday afternoon. The Avengers were working -- with much grumbling from Tony (and boy, had Steve ever misjudged him) -- at clearing some debris when a wolf whistle suddenly sounded over the comm. "Wow!" Tony added.

Steve looked up to see Wonder Woman striding down the street toward them. Her uniform had been updated just as his own had been; the colors were more muted and it seemed a bit more utilitarian, but even if he hadn't recognized Diana, there would have been no doubt as to her identity.

"Captain," she said, as she came near, "My team is working nearby; I thought I'd come say hi."

"I'm really glad to see you," he replied. "Let me introduce you to my team." And he was surprised at how much pleasure and pride it gave him to say that. "Guys, this is an old friend of mine, Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman, the Avengers."

She smiled brilliantly at them all. "It's nice to finally meet you all. And, Captain?"

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Good choice."

Steve smiled. "Yeah."

**Author's Note:**

> I am not a comics fan, so this is based solely on Steve Rogers as he appeared in _Captain America: The First Avenger_ and _The Avengers_ and Diana Prince and Maj. Steve Trevor as they appeared in the '70s _Wonder Woman_ television series, which I watched avidly as a child. Diana, and by extension, Wonder Woman, was not _exactly_ the same sort of superhero that we would expect now, thirty-some-odd years later. She's more...sweet and considerate, while still being kickass, and that's what I have tried to convey here.
> 
> I do not own any of these characters, nor will I be raking in any piles of cash. This is a fan work, and no infringement of any kind is intended.


End file.
